Three inducted into the Watsonville High Hall of Fame

WATSONVILLE -- One of Robert Davidson's last missions in a distinguished career as an Air Force pilot was to fly home the crew of the captured USS Pueblo after its release from North Korea in 1968.

Ken Dobler planted his first commercial strawberry patch as a sixth-grader in 1950. He kept at it. Today, Dobler & Sons, headquartered in Watsonville, is a major local supplier of conventionally grown and organic produce.

Andy Vargas sang with his father's mariachi band as a kid. At 19, he joined Carlos Santana's band. Fourteen years later, he continues to perform with Santana, as well as running his company, Vargas Entertainment.

The three, all graduates of Watsonville High, will be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame at an assembly at 10:45 a.m. May 10 at the Mello Center and honored later that day at the annual Evening for the Black and Gold.

Davidson was a member of the class of 1949, Dobler, 1957 and Vargas, 1995.

Also honored posthumously will be Louis Bilicich, class of 1936, and Mitchie Miyamoto, class of 1938.

Bilicich served as school custodian from 1936-1983, his only break during military service on the Western Front during World War II. He is the father of Councilwoman Nancy Bilicich.

Miyamoto graduated from Watsonville in 1936, and served in the decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team while his family was interned at Heart Mountain, Wyo. He created a patch for the 442nd to replace a War Department design with a bloody sword gripped in a yellow hand that many in the Japanese American unit found racially offensive. His patch, a silver hand holding aloft a torch of liberty against a sky-blue background, is displayed in an exhibit at the Smithsonian.

Two women will be recognized as Friends of the Wildcatz. Louise Bilicich, Louis' wife, taught physical education at Watsonville High from 1944-1983. After retirement, she continued to work for city youth. She was president of the Watsonville Recreation Advocates for more than 27 years, and helped to organize special events and to raise money to support youth participation in camps and on sports teams.

Jean Pogue worked as a math teacher at the school from 1944-1982. She was a founder of the math department and served as its chairman as it grew to become the school's largest department. She also founded the Watsonville Sno-Catz with students in 1960. While not an official school club, the nonprofit ski club operated for 40 years.